Youth Guarantee Trailblazer
Launched in November 2024, the Get Britain Working White Paper outlines Government’s ambition to reduce economic inactivity and move toward an 80% employment rate. A key commitment within the White Paper is the introduction of a Youth Guarantee, ensuring that all 18–21-year-olds in England have access to education, training, or support to find employment or an apprenticeship. To deliver this, central government has allocated £45 million to fund eight place-based Youth Guarantee Trailblazers, with the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) selected as one of the eight Mayoral Combined Authorities to receive up to £5 million in 2025/26.
This investment comes at a crucial time, as the West Midlands faces some of the highest youth unemployment and economic inactivity rates in the country—9.2% of 18–24-year-olds are unemployed, the second highest among England’s mayoral combined authorities. The region also struggles with high Universal Credit claims, low qualification levels, and a widening skills gap, all compounded by deep-rooted poverty and inequality in its diverse communities. Insights from a WMCA youth voice survey of over 794 young people highlighted key barriers to employment, including lack of experience, skills, and mental health challenges. The Youth Guarantee Trailblazer will directly address these issues, aligning with Mayoral Priorities and the WMCA Youth Plan to support young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET).
The Trailblazer Interventions
The Trailblazer will deliver three core interventions:
Intervention 1: Enabling young people to engage with employers through subsidised work experience and upskilling.
Intervention 2: - Connecting them to training via pre-apprenticeship programmes with mentoring and guaranteed interviews,
Intervention 3: Supporting seamless transitions to reduce NEET risk, particularly in underserved communities.
The WMCA Youth Guarantee Trailblazer has been developed in collaboration with our 7 local authorities to meet the diverse needs of young people aged 18–21, particularly those at risk of becoming NEET. The Youth Trailblazer provides the opportunity to build our evidence base with insights from young people while successfully testing and learning from three pilot projects.
The success of the programme will be driven by WMCA’s strategic leadership in convening a wide range of partners who are already working in this space, in order to create wider systems changes and alignment. Our data-driven, place-based approach ensures streamlined support, robust tracking, and outcome monitoring, while avoiding duplication of funding and ensuring value for money. WMCA’s role in identifying, engaging, and supporting young people through smooth transitions is central to the programme’s impact. An external evaluation will capture insights, monitor progress, and inform future youth employment strategies, ensuring young people across the region are better supported into meaningful, sustained employment.
The £5 million Youth Guarantee Trailblazer budget is strategically allocated across key interventions and support functions. Over £4million will be grant-funded to our seven Local Authority partners (Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall, Wolverhampton) to deliver Interventions 1 – subsided work experience models and Intervention 3 – seamless transition support for NEET young people. The remaining funds will support delivery of Intervention 2 - connecting young people to early training opportunities and a robust evaluation of systems and delivery activity.
Here is a Summary of each LA proposal:
Birmingham’s proposal focuses on supporting economically inactive and unemployed young people aged 18 to 21, particularly those facing significant barriers such as mental health challenges, SEND, neurodiversity, care experience, or low qualifications.
Through Intervention 1, the city will collaborate with NHS and anchor institutions, construction, hospitality, and professional services employers, as well as SMEs via the Birmingham Growth Hub, to create subsidised work experience and internship opportunities.
Intervention 3 will deliver tailored employability and life skills support at key transitional points through external providers, helping young people build confidence, develop job-readiness skills, and overcome personal barriers.
Both interventions will be closely linked to employer engagement and apprenticeship pathways, aimed at reaching over 500 young people and supporting nearly 400 into positive outcomes.
Solihull’s proposal introduces a market-driven small grants programme aimed at expanding meaningful work experience opportunities for young residents, particularly those with care experience.
The Intervention 1 initiative will engage local SMEs and micro businesses to offer two types of placements: unpaid work experience (40–100 hours over at least 3 weeks) and paid placements or apprenticeships lasting a minimum of 12 weeks. A total of 50 young people are expected to benefit, with 40 supported into sustained outcomes. Participants will receive in-placement support from the Employment and Skills team, alongside financial assistance through the Household Support Fund to cover essential work-related costs such as transport, clothing, and meals.
Coventry’s proposal focuses on supporting 84 NEET young people aged 18–21 through a structured, employer-led work experience programme designed to lead directly into sustained employment.
Through Intervention 1, the model includes a 2-week unpaid placement with an employer incentive, followed by 8 weeks of paid work experience incentive, and additional funding for employers who offer a minimum 6-month salaried role post-placement. Participants will receive tailored employability and skills support through Coventry’s Job Shop and its network of training providers, ensuring wraparound guidance throughout the journey.
The programme aims to achieve 65 positive outcomes, strengthening pathways into long-term employment for Coventry’s young residents.
Dudley’s proposal focuses on two targeted interventions to support young people into employment and training.
Intervention 1, the ICAN Project, is a place-based initiative delivered in partnership with the NHS and Dudley Council, offering tailored “Into Work” and Clinical Support Worker programmes to prepare participants for roles in health and care sectors. It includes employability training, sector-specific skills development, and potential paid work experience, coordinated by the Adult Community Learning Team.
Intervention 3, Step Up Dudley, will provide intensive, wraparound support to unemployed and economically inactive young people—particularly in the wards of St Thomas’s and St James’—through outreach, life skills, employability training, volunteering, and progression pathways into jobs or further education.
The programme aims to engage 90 young people and support 80 into positive outcomes, building local capacity and resilience through community-based delivery.
Walsall’s proposal centres on delivering paid work placements and targeted transition support to reduce youth unemployment and prevent young people from becoming NEET. Under
Intervention 1, the Works+ programme will create 30 paid placements—10 in key sectors like engineering and digital for current learners, and 20 aligned with the aspirations of NEET young people—supported by employer incentives, wraparound support, and administrative assistance.
Intervention 3 will pilot four innovative models to support 18–21-year-olds through transitions into education, training, or employment. These include specialist employment advisors, housing provider-led support, college-based wraparound services, and youth engagement activities, collectively reaching 196 young people and supporting 146 into positive outcomes.
Sandwell’s proposal delivers a dual approach to support NEET and at-risk young people aged 18–21, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds such as care leavers, SEND, youth justice, and families experiencing generational worklessness.
Intervention 1 focuses on paid work placements of up to 8 weeks, supported by employer engagement, tailored IAG, and progression pathways into apprenticeships or jobs, aiming to support 50 young people with 38 progressing into positive outcomes.
Intervention 3 enhances transition support through improved tracking via the CCIS system, targeted school interventions, and engaging employability activities like outdoor learning and wellbeing sessions. This strand will reach 80 young people, with 60 expected outcomes.
Wolverhampton’s proposal focuses on structured work experience and transition support to help young people aged 16–21 overcome barriers to employment and avoid becoming NEET.
Intervention 1, Open Door Wolverhampton, offers 4–12-week placements within the Council and with local employers, targeting those with low skills, no work history, or additional challenges. Delivered in partnership with Wolves at Work, Connexions, and the Youth Employment Hub, the programme includes wraparound support, careers advice, and digital access and will support 30 young people, and 23 positive outcomes.
Intervention 3 builds on existing services to provide coaching and engagement for around 200 young people, with a focus on 70 aged 18–21, helping 52 into positive destinations. This includes investment in the voluntary sector.